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‘Stuff the store front’

Vanessa Hoffeditz (left) of the Tri-County Opportunities Council and Mindy Kramer of Kramer's Kitchen stand in front of the "stuff the store front" location for the food pantry's annual coats for kids drive. Servicemaster Resoration by DSI is also a sponsor in this project. Community members are being challenged to fill the storefront with new or gently-used coats before Nov. 15. Hoffeditz explained with current economic conditions, the need is even greater this year for local children.

PRINCETON — The challenge is on again this year to “stuff the store front” with coats for kids at Kramer’s Kitchen in Princeton.

The annual coat drive is sponsored by Kramer’s Kitchen, Service Master Restoration by DSI on behalf of the Tri-County Opportunities Council Food Pantry.

Vanessa Hoffeditz of the food pantry explained the need for coats is even greater this year.

“With the current economy, so many families have been faced with unfortunate circumstances such as reduction in work hours,” she said. “That tied in with the increased costs for things like food and gas and trying to make ends meet, it’s difficult to afford the basic necessities for winter. That’s why the food pantry is here to help fill the gap for those families.”

Although the store front at Kramer’s Kitchen has been prepped and is ready to begin the collection, the coat drive officially begins on Monday (Oct. 14) and runs to Nov. 15.

During this time, those willing to make a donation are asked to bring in kid-sized new or gently-used clean coats to pack the store front.

Hoffeditz said at the end of last year, the coats brought in by the drive were able to fill half the store front window. This year, the goal is to stuff both halves of the window.

“Sometimes we get a little busier around the holidays, and it’s not always in the front of peoples’ minds that the need is there, but hopefully putting the drive out in public like in the store front window in the downtown will help be a reminder,” she said.

Hoffeditz is also hoping to make-up for the lost inventory of coats that occurred in the April flooding. The food pantry was forced to get rid of the coats that had been collected for winter because of the damage they sustained in the floods.

In correlation with the coat drive, donation boxes will also be set-up at various local places to help with the collection of kid-sized mittens, hats and gloves, which are also winter necessities that will be given out with the coats.

The food pantry will also be accepting monetary donations for the coat drive that will be used to purchase addition coats for the collection.

Monetary donations can be dropped-off at the food pantry, located at 1019 N. Main St.